Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park

From TV Experiment to Wildlife Park

Jimmy Doherty was a London-born entomologist studying leaf-cutter ants at the University of London when he decided to change direction entirely. In 2002, he bought a run-down 70-acre farm at Pannington Hall in Wherstead, just south of Ipswich, with the ambition of rearing rare breed pigs. He had no farming background, and the early years were documented by Channel 4 in the series Jimmy's Farm, which first aired in 2004 and followed his steep learning curve from academic to livestock farmer.

The pigs came first — British saddlebacks, a traditional breed that had fallen out of favour with commercial agriculture. As the farm stabilised, Doherty began expanding, adding more rare breeds and eventually opening the site to visitors. The operation grew steadily through the 2010s, introducing exotic species alongside the farmyard animals and developing proper visitor facilities. By 2020, the site had achieved zoo licensing and BIAZA accreditation, marking its transition from a working farm that happened to welcome guests to a fully recognised wildlife park with over 100 species.

What to See and Do

The headline attraction is the Lost Lands of the Tundra, a purpose-built reserve that opened in 2023 and houses rescued polar bear Ewa, a pack of twelve arctic wolves and a pair of arctic foxes. The enclosure was the subject of Channel 4's Big Bear Rescue documentary and cost nearly one million pounds to build. Raised walkways and viewing platforms put visitors at close quarters with the animals without disturbing them, and keeper talks run daily.

Beyond the tundra zone, the tropical butterfly house is a heated glasshouse filled with free-flying species from around the world, including giant atlas moths with wingspans approaching 30 centimetres and ring-tailed lemurs sharing the canopy. A separate reptile encounter area houses crocodiles, snakes and lizards with regular handling sessions. The original rare breeds farm remains the heart of the site, where saddleback pigs forage in woodland paddocks and visitors can hand-feed goats and sheep during scheduled sessions.

For children, there is an adventure playground with bouncy pillows and climbing equipment, plus a woodland walk with den-building areas and nature spotting boards. Animal encounter talks and feeding demonstrations run throughout the day and are included in the admission price, covering species from meerkats and capybaras to camels and zebras.

Planning Your Visit

Jimmy's Farm opens daily at 9:30am year-round, closing at 5pm in summer and 4pm in winter. Last entry is an hour before closing. The park shuts only on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Summer weekends and school holidays are the busiest periods, so a weekday visit will be considerably quieter. Spring and summer offer the most active animal programme, though the tundra zone and butterfly house are engaging in any season.

The park is four miles south of Ipswich, signposted from the A137 Wherstead Road. Driving from London takes around 75 minutes via the A12. Free parking is plentiful. By train, Greater Anglia services from Liverpool Street reach Ipswich in about 70 minutes, and a taxi from the station takes ten minutes. Paths across the site are largely accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs, though some animal areas can be muddy — sturdy footwear is recommended. A mobility scooter is available to hire by prior arrangement. The Barn Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a restored 200-year-old timber barn, and picnics are welcome on the grass areas and benches provided. Allow three to five hours for a full visit.